"Designing the PDF Sampler"

Written by Howard Hopkins


After recently signing a six ebook deal with Atlantic Bridge Publishing (www.atlanticbridge.net), I quickly realized promotion would be a whole different ball game. I was used to promoting my Lance Howard print westerns to certain areas, and, indeed, I would be able to adapt a number of techniques to ebooks: bookmarks, promocards, postcards, etc. Having a bit of experience with ebooks previously, however, I soon realized I would need a somewhat different mindset forrepparttar novels, which spannedrepparttar 125077 range from horror to ripper/western and YA series horror. Many avenues used for print wouldn't work as well and would have to be modified, with many new ideas instituted.

The first of these new ides wasrepparttar 125078 PDF Sampler. After a little thought, I decided why not take a print technique I'd used, that of printing out a number of pages and binding them together with a color copy ofrepparttar 125079 cover as a give away, and transpose it for online promotion.

To make your PDF Sampler, you will need either your word processor or Powerpoint, or some program that allows you to use text and graphics together. The sampler will be nothing too complicated or fancy so MS Word will do, if you are comfortable using that.

The Sampler should be short, torepparttar 125080 point and snappy enough to attract attention to your new ebook release. My short story horror anthology DARK HARBORS had what I consideredrepparttar 125081 most eye-catching cover, so I chose that book. I usedrepparttar 125082 cover forrepparttar 125083 first page.(In Word use insert picture from file) Onrepparttar 125084 second page I wanted a teaser, something short and mysterious to go along withrepparttar 125085 tone ofrepparttar 125086 book, something that would encourage a reader to keep going. I came up withrepparttar 125087 phrase: "Whererepparttar 125088 sins ofrepparttar 125089 past are never buried..." and gave it a page of its own. Onrepparttar 125090 next page I listedrepparttar 125091 publisher url, then onrepparttar 125092 nextrepparttar 125093 title and author.

RECORDING THE AUTHOR SOUND BYTE

Written by Howard Hopkins


Promoting onrepparttar internet can sometimes feel like a cold, detached endeavor. There are scores of places to list a new ebook, request a review or drop a press release. But most contact with potential readers comes inrepparttar 125076 form of printed words on a screen. While that's what you are trying to sell to begin with, your printed words on a screen, a certain level of intimacy is missing. Printed words carryrepparttar 125077 tone inrepparttar 125078 reader's mind, their interpretation ofrepparttar 125079 author's phrasing and rhythm. That's all well and good but how do you create that elusive intimacy with your reader that goes beyondrepparttar 125080 sound of their own thoughts? Or entice new readers to "hear" your words in your voice when they read?

For print authors--and sometimes e-authors--there isrepparttar 125081 author signing. Of course, this is somewhat limited by area and tour itinerary. Even so, most e-authors can't afford author tours andrepparttar 125082 luxury of reading to their readers and potential readers is limited.

So why not create a sound byte those readers can download, either when they buyrepparttar 125083 book or before? Let them hear your voice, so you are more than just a few printed words on a screen. Become three-dimensional in their mind, get close up and in mono.

Creating a sound byte is not difficult and in fact can be constructed even on older computers. I created one using Windat on Windows 3.11, but it can be done with sound recorder on later Win versions.

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